Ted Grant

Capitalists fear armed Paris workers

The Nazis have been routed in France. But most significant
has been the mass movement of the French workers in Paris and
throughout France, in taking up arms against the Nazi
oppressor.

It has been this mass movement of the French workers, peasants
and middle class which has forced the retreat of the German army.
The culminating point, which has marked the entry of the French
masses once again onto the arena of history, was the insurrection
of the workers of Paris.

Despite the capitalist censorship of the news from Europe and
the meagre reports that have been allowed to come through, it is
possible to piece together the chain of events. As the Allied
armies marched towards Paris, on August 13th, the
workers in the industrial suburbs began demonstrations which
rapidly developed into armed insurrection, despite the little
equipment possessed by the workers. [?] The strike broke out
throughout the Paris area which brought the life of the capital
completely to a stand-still. The strike involved the French
railwaymen, thus preventing the Nazis from moving troops and
supplies to and from the capital. So powerful was the movement and
so intense the feeling of the masses that two days after the
insurrection had broken out, even the Paris police came out on
strike and joined the insurrectionaries. Barricades were set up in
all the working class districts of Paris and tens of thousands,
armed with revolvers, sticks and rifles were joined on the
barricade by hundreds of thousands without arms.

Thus, within a few days, despite, the fact that the Nazis
possessed many tanks and other heavy equipment, they were
completely defeated. It is noteworthy that the capitalist de
Gaullists, who had placed themselves at the head of the movement
with the assistance of the Stalinists and reformists, quickly made
a truce with the Nazi generals at a time when the movement was
developing successfully. The Nazi troops were to be allowed to
withdraw from Paris within 48 hours of the agreement which had been
signed.

The reason for this is not hard the find. It was not tender
humanitarianism but fear for their property which might be
destroyed in the fighting. Thus the Nazis were enabled to gain
time, draw in reserves, and continue the struggle for several more
days at the cost of many more workers’ lives.

In 1940 the French capitalists sold Paris to Hitler without a
struggle for the same reason–fear of the destruction of their
property. But also because of their fear of an armed working class
which could see their degeneration and corruption clearly, and
which might take control of Paris and then the whole of France. The
nightmare of a new and more permanent occupation of the factories
as in the great stay in strikes of 1936 obsessed them. Then they
had been saved by the workers’ leaders through the policy of
Popular Frontism. But they were not sure it would suffice them
now!

Capitalists fear armed workers

The Gaullist leadership was compelled to place itself at the
head of the present movement would [?] get out of control and also
to demonstrate to Anglo-American imperialism that they were the
only force in France with whom the Allies could deal. Thus they
issued the call to insurrection.

But immediately the Nazis were driven from Paris, the main
preoccupation of the capitalist forces has been the disarming of
the Parisian workers. The entire capitalist press has reported this
as one of the “major” problems with which the de
Gaullist government is faced. The Herald of 29th
August, says:

“But another problem facing General Koenig, new commandant
of Paris, will be to get the Maquis underground and demobilised
soldiers of the French Forces of the Interior[1] to
lay down their arms.
To wean the high-spirited youths, who are still racing through
the city in their small cars, waving flags and brandishing weapons,
back to the hum-drum existence of labour and rebuilding, will be
one of his weightiest problems.”

The News Chronicle of August 30th reports an
even more far-fetched excuse for the disarming of the workers who
freed Paris:

“To organise the legions of armed French youths now
wearing the armband of the F.F.I., and training them into a
disciplined force, General Koenig will first of all disarm those
not at the moment authorised to carry arms.
In this way the attempts of Darnand’s militia[2] and
German soldiers in civilian uniform to infiltrate into the F.F.I.
will be largely defeated.”

This is so much balderdash. It is obviously ridiculous to
suggest that the fascists, especially the German troops, could
enter the F.F.I. How many German soldiers can speak French
sufficiently well to pretend to be Frenchmen? They would give
themselves away immediately. In addition to which, according to the
reports of the correspondents, the only German troops in Paris are
prisoners. Their captors would have to be very obliging to allow
them to change into civilian clothes and enter the Maquis. So far
as the fascists are concerned, those of Darnand’s militia who
have not been dealt with or arrested, by the armed workers would be
only too glad to skulk into some corner where they would not be
recognised.

That the ostensible reason for disarming the French workers is
false, is shown by an article in the Manchester Guardian of
31st August by their Military Correspondent, headed:
“Demobilising the Guerillas”. In this the anxiety of
the ruling class at the possibility of an armed people in Europe is
revealed frankly:

“It would be dangerous sentiment to feel that because a
man has been a hero in battle he can be excused if he shows signs
of anti-social behaviour when the battle is over.”

It is control of the arms for their own ends that the
capitalists are after. They are deadly afraid of the armed workers,
who have especially bitter memories of the collaboration of the
French bankers and trust magnates with their Nazi colleagues in the
exploitation and repression of the French masses. They have many
scores to settle with the capitalists who made agreements with
Hitler. But apart from a handful of capitalists who they will have
to sacrifice as scapegoats, the de Gaullists represent precisely
the interests of the big capitalists, despite their demagogic
programme. As in Italy, so in France, the Allies will protect
them.

Swing to the left

Already the masses have begun revolutionary seizures. The Paris
press, which functioned as an instrument of Nazi propaganda has
been seized by the sinned [sic?] legions of the underground
movement. This act alone, which violates the sacred rights of
private property, must have sent shivers of fear down the spines of
the capitalists.

The Daily Worker reports that the circulation of the
workers’ papers now published in Paris on the presses seized
by the underground, is higher than the rest of the press put
together! L’Humanité, Communist Party organ,
has a circulation of 230,033. Populaire, organ of the
Socialist Party has a circulation of 160,000, and twelve capitalist
papers together, only 120,000! These figure indicate the
revolutionary movement of the French masses, which the Stalinists
and reformists will not hold back for long. Before the war, in all
France the circulation of Populaire was only 60,000! The
tremendous increase in its circulation in the Paris area alone,
where formerly the Stalinists were completely dominant, shows the
swing to the left of the masses. Socialist Party policy has been
more “Left” than that of the Stalinists, so the workers
have swung towards them. This position in the first hours of
liberation, indicates the beginning of the revolutionary wave which
can only grow more intensive and deep as the masses see the real
programme of De Gaulle and Anglo-American Imperialism in action.
Workers, peasants and middle class will all be driven on the road
of social revolution. The demonstrating crowds are demonstrating
for socialism and freedom–even if this is not clearly
expressed. That the capitalists realise this is shown by the haste
with which they are raising the problem of disarming the
workers.

They remember the Commune

It is the memory of French history too, which they fear. Paris
is a city of revolution. In 1789, 1830, 1848 and in 1871 the
Parisians rose in insurrection. For the first time in history the
Paris workers seized power in 1871 and organised the glorious Paris
Commune. The capitalists have not forgotten that this took place
after the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian war when the
Paris workers organised the armed National Guard–at a time
when the Prussian army was at the gates of Paris and when the
corruption and degeneracy of the French capitalists was manifest to
the workers. But they should remember too, that what caused the
complete overthrow of the capitalist Government in Paris was the
attempt of Thiers to disarm the Paris workers.

Then, as now, in order to retain control, the capitalists had to
destroy any independent armed organisation of the masses. This fear
of the revenge of the people is also shown by the attempts to
divert the anger of the French masses from the real
criminals–this is seen by the treatment of women who have had
relations with German soldiers. Hooligans have been photographed
shaving off the hair of their heads in public, and women have been
forced to march through the streets unclothed.

That this will not be successful is indicated by the report of
one correspondent who reports the disapproval of this practice by a
small woman shop-keeper. He reports that she suggested instead, the
punishment of “merchants” etc., who had collaborated
with the Nazis. What she no doubt expressed was that the real
criminals should be punished–the big trusts and combines who
notoriously have had intimate relations with the Nazi trusts and
combines.

France is celebrating in “unity” her [?] liberation
from the Nazis, according to de Gaulle and others. That the masses
are overjoyed at the defeat of the Nazi oppressor after four years
of occupation, is clear enough. That because of the foul propaganda
of the Communist Party and Socialist Party, the workers do not
clearly differential between the Nazis and the German workers, is
probably to a great extent true. But how long will this last?

Anglo-American imperialism will hold France and all Europe in
slavery to their financial dictatorship. The awakening after the
first joy of liberation will be rapid and profound.

The ruling class will tremble for the coming period, Paris has
spoken! In the coming days the full meaning the uprising of the
Paris workers will became clear. They threw out the Nazis; they can
just as easily throw out the French capitalists too.

Paris and France will yet present their reckoning for the crimes
of French imperialism. Red Paris has spoken, but it has not yet
said its final word. The French Trotskyists will play their part in
the coming days. Events will show the Paris workers soon enough who
are their real enemies and who are their real friends. They will
spurn the treacherous class-collaborationist policy of the
Stalinists and reformists. After Rome and Warsaw comes Paris. These
are just the beginnings of the revolutionary movement which will
sweep all Europe. Paris [?] workers will remain true to socialism
and internationalism!

The workers of France will fight for a Soviet France together
with a Socialist United States of Europe!